Button



`lune 3, 1941. L R, CARLEY BuTToN' Filed sept. 1551939 www Patented June 3, 194i `SFTES PATENT GFFECE BUTTON Lennard R. Carley, Watertown, Conn., assigner to The Patent Button Company,

Waterbury,

Conn., a corporation f lConnecticut Application September 13, 193:9, Serial No. 294,738

(Cl. l0- 20) 3 Claims.

tener, as it is generally desirable to cause the prongs of the staple to bend or deform towards each other to thus more tightly hold the button to its cloth. Also, as the name implies, a staple button uses a two-prong fastener, whereas a tack button uses a one-prong fastener.

It is desirable in both tack or staple buttons to provide a cap in which there is embossed or stamped insignia, such as the brand or a fanciful design, and it is also desirable when the button is in its attached position that the insignia be in its proper horizontal, readable position.

Further, a solid metal or plastic button may be used, and in these instances, the button body may either be provided with a cap or the insignia may be embossed or cast directly into the top surface of the button.

The present invention has for an object to provide a button capable of being oriented in a button-attaching machine, the button to be used in conjunction with a staple rather than with a tack.

There is a possibility of a tack button working loose on its cloth, which would permit the button to then turn about the prong of the tack, so that the insignia would then no longer be in its true readable position. However, where a button is provided that is to be used with a staple, that is, the fastener having two prongs, even should the button become somewhat loose on its fastener, there is no possibility of the button turning about a centralv axis and the insignia will remain in its predetermined set position.

Another object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a button that is capable of being oriented similar to that shown in Patent Number 2,170,092, granted August 22, 1939, to Frederick H. Peterson and Rollin R. Clarke, for Tack buttons; that is, having the opposite flats and a step or aligning wall on its hub, but rather than using a tack fastener, different forms of anvils or vises are to be used in the body of the shell and the bottom of the hub of the shell is to be perforated for the reception of the two prongs of a staple.

Thus, after the button is oriented in the button-attaching machine and in position on the attach-ing station, the perforations in the bottom of the shell will register with the two prongs of the staple and the staple may then be driven through the cloth and up into these perforations to attach the button to the cloth and prevent it from ever turning about a central axis.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a staple button that may be either of the shell type or the solid type, and the buttons in both cases being capable of being properly Voriented and so attached that even 'should the staple and button become loose, still there is no possibility of the button turning or twisting from its original position,

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain new and' novel arrangements and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully explained and pointedout in the claims. N v

Referring now to the drawing showing a preferred embodiment and a modification,

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view, on an enlargedA scale of the preferred form yof my improved staple button;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3` is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 before attachment to the garment;

Fig. 4 is a similar View but taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2, showing the button in its attached position; Y

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View of the lower edge of a button cup showing va button properly passing through one of the radial groovesto then pass down to the attaching station;

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a staple;

Fig. 7 shows a sectional view of a modied form of button, that is, a solid metal button, illustrating a staple about to be driven through the cloth into the same; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view showing the staple` in its nal position.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing and to Figs. 1 to 5 for the moment, there is shown my improved staple button of the shell type, consisting of the shell or body portion I with its outwardly flared rim 2 and the integral hollow hub 3, which latter is perforated at two diametrically opposite points, such as at 4. The hub is also provided with flats 5 and 6 on its opposite sides and there is a step 'l adjacent one of the flats on the bottom of the hub to provide an aligning wall 8. The step is for orienting purposes and the flats also keep the button in its properly oriented position as it passes down a chute to the attaching station (not shown).

As far as the specification has proceeded, the button is similar to the construction shown in the aforementioned patent, Number 2,170,092, granted August 22, 1939, to Frederick H. Peterson and Rollin R. Clarke, for Tack buttons, with the exception that rather than having the bottom of the hub imperforate, the hub is perforated, the perforatiens being diametrically opposite each other and on opposite sides of a line drawn through the major axis of the hub.

Within the shell or body is an anvil or die 9 that may be similar to the die shown in Patent Number 1,744,349, granted January 2l, 1930, to Franklin R. White, Leonard R. Carley, and Walter T. Abel, for Staple button. This anvil or die has a top plate I which rests on the outwardly extending portion ofthe shell, as may be seen in Fig. 3, and is provided with the hub portion I I having the concave chamber I2, which extends directly about the perforations 4 in the bottom of the hub of the shell. Thus, when the staple, about to be mentioned, is registered with the perforations 4 and driven through the cloth up into the button shell, the prongs Will be turned or deformed, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 to thus tightly hold the button in position.

To complete the button, there is placed over the flared rim of the shell the cap I3, which is provided with desired embossing I4, which in this instance are the letters P. B. Co.

It will be noticed that the ats and the longitudinal axis of the hub extend at an angle from the vertical, as may be seen in Figs-1 and 2, which compensates for the angle of the chute (not shown) that leads down to the button-attaching station.

As is well known, tack and staple buttons are attached in a button-attaching machine. The cap with its insignia is positioned on the shell so that the insignia bears a definite relation to the ilats and aligning wall on the hub of the button. Thus, when the button is fed through the buttonattaching machine to the attaching station, the button will be properly aligned or oriented, s0 that the insignia, trade-mark, or reading matter thereon will appear in its true horizontal, readable position, Y

Thus, by utilizing the shell with its flats and aligning wall, as set forth in Patent Number 2,170,092, above-mentioned, and using thevice or anchor shown in the patent to White, et al., Number 1,744,349, also-above-mentioned, and by perforating the hub in its bottom in a particular manner as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it is possible to accurately orient the button, so that when `it arrives at the attaching station (not shown), the

prongs of the staple will be in registry with the two perforations 4. On the descent of the plunger (not shown), the staple will be driven up through the cloth into the shell and the prongs deformed to thus tightly attach the button in its oriented position.

In Fig. 4, I have shown the cloth I5 together with the staple I6 with its two prongs II as having passed through the cloth up through the perforations 4 and deformed in the chamber of the anvil to tightly hold the now-oriented button.

Thus, I have provided a button capable of being attached with a staple and, at the same time, use a shell with an aligning wall for orienting the button and flats for keeping the button in position as it passes down to the chute, therefore assuring a well attached button with the insignia in its true readable position.

A staple button has certain advantages over a tack button in that the two legs of the staple pierce the garment when the button is attached, so subsequent rotation of the button out of its registered position is impossible; whereas it is possible, if a button is attached with a tack and the tack does not tightly pierce the garment or the button becomes loose in washing or from wear, that the button may rotate out of its registered position about the single prong of the tack fastener.

In Fig. 6, I have shown the ordinary type of staple which is to be used with the orientable button.

As pointed out in Patent Number 2,170,092, the button can only pass from the cup to the chute (not shown) in inverted position, but in traversing the chute, it is given a half turn due to the `twist in said chute to bring it rightside up as it arrives at the attaching station.

In Fig. l or 5 of the present application. the button B is shown inverted as it passes through the radial slots in the cup of the button-attaching machine and starts down the chute in inverted position but then is turned top for bottom in its travel and will arrive at the buttonattaching station in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In Fig. 7, I have shown a solid metal button 20, which may have insignia 2| on its face, and will be provided with two shallow holes 22 in its bottom and will` also be provided with the ats 23 and the step 24, so that the button will be properly oriented as it passes down the chute to the attaching station.

Into these shallow holes in the bottom of the hub will be driven a staple 25, the ends of the prongs 26 of which will be beveled, so that when the staple is driven up into the metal button they will assume the shape as shown in Fig. 8. A solid metal button, of course, does not need a die or anchor in the same, and when once attached to the garment will never work loose therefrom.

I have not shown a plastic button, but it will be understood that a plastic button might be used with an anchor or vise therein and the staple driven up in the same way, as shown in the preferred form, to hold the button to its cloth.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a button with an aligning wall and ats for assuring the desired prepositioning of the button, so that the reading matter will be in its true position when the button is attached, and I have also provided means wherein a staple may be used, rather than a tack, so that the prongs of the staple enter the goods and the button at two points, thus avoiding a possibility of the button working loose and swinging around a central axis, which might be possible when just the tack is used.

The manner of orienting the cap with relation to the shell and its hub forms no part of the present invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A staple button capable of being oriented in only one position as it passes through a buttonattaching machine, said button having an integral hub, flats formed in the hub and the end of the hub having an aligning wall extending parallel with the flats, the bottom of the hub provided with spaced openings to receive the prongs of a staple fastener, insignia on the button, the flats and the aligning Wall extending at an angle to horizontal lines drawn through the insignia, the said openings being substantially diametrically positioned with respect to each other and in a line also extending at an angle with respect to the horizontal lines drawn through the insignia and also in a line extending at an angle to a line drawn along the face of the said aligning wall.

2. A staple button capable of being mechanically oriented having an integral hub, flats formed in the hub and the end of the hub having an aligning Wall extending parallel with the flats, insignia on the button head, the ats and aligning wall extending at an acute angle to horizontal lines drawn through the insignia, the bottom of the hub provided with openings to receive the prongs of a staple fastener, said openings being substantially diametrically positioned with respect to each other and also in a line substantial1y at right angles to the said horizontal lines drawn through the insignia.

3. A staple button capable of being oriented in a button-attaching machine consisting of a hollow shell having an integral hollow hub, the opposite sides of the hub being atted and a step formed in the bottom of the hub and extending parallel with the said iats for orienting purposes, means Within the shell and adapted to deform the prongs of the staple, a cap on said shell having insignia thereon, the insignia bearing a defi- 'nite relation to the flats and step on the hub of the shell, the bottom of the hub being perforated in two places, the major axis of the hub extending at an angle from the vertical with respect to the insignia, and the openings in the bottom of the hub extending in a line substantially at right angles to the insignia.

LEONARD R. CARLEY. 

